Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities, ideas, strategies to help PreK-3, 4-8, and 9-12 students learn to read.
ELL Topics from A to Z
The number of English language learners (ELLs) in American schools has more than doubled over the past 20 years. The articles in this section will give you lots of useful ideas for creating an environment that is welcoming and supportive for your ELLs and their families, and also encourages and facilitates learning.
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In this excerpt from Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice, Wayne Wright offers an introduction to No Child Left Behind legislation for English language learners, including information on accountability, assessments, English language proficiency standards, and implications for ELL identification and instruction. In addition, Wright summarizes the landmark Supreme Court Cases that have had significant implications for ELLs in Supreme Court Rulings Regarding English Language Learners.
In this excerpt from Foundations for Multlingualism in Education: from Principles to Practice, Ester de Jong shares an overview of the history of language policy in the United States. "Return to Bilingual Education" explores the 20th-century language policies that emerged after World War II, early bilingual education programs, and the Bilingual Education Act of 1968.
Immigrant Era: Focus on Assimilation
In this excerpt from Foundations for Multlingualism in Education: from Principles to Practice, Ester de Jong shares an overview of the history of language policy in the United States. "Immigrant Era: Focus on Assimilation" discusses the debate around language and language instruction at the beginning of the 20th century, in the midst of unprecedented waves of immigration to the U.S.
Early Years: Tolerance and Repression
In this excerpt from Foundations for Multlingualism in Education: from Principles to Practice, Ester de Jong shares an overview of the history of language policy in the United States. "Early Years: Tolerance and Repression" explores the wide ranging language policies in the 18th and 19th century, from colonial acceptance and encouragement of multilingualism to later repression of the languages of Native Americans and West African slaves.
Toward a Monolingual USA? The Modern English-Only Movement
In this excerpt from Foundations for Multlingualism in Education: from Principles to Practice, Ester de Jong shares an overview of the history of language policy in the United States. "Toward a Monolingual USA? The Modern English-Only Movement" explores contemporary language policy, including No Child Left Behind and the English-Only statewide ballot initiatives in California, Arizona, and Massachusetts. In addition, de Jong explores the complexities of historic and modern attitudes towards language use and instruction throughout the U.S.
Introducing the Common Core State Standards in Cleveland
Crosswalks to the Common Core and Other State Academic Content Standards
ELL Strategies for Paraprofessionals
Winter Vacation: 10 Reading Ideas for Parents
Winter vacation is a great time to read with your kids. It's also a good time to make reading (and writing) fun! Try some of the ideas below — and remember that it's ok to do these activities in your home language!
Many kids love to read about science and nature as well as real people, places, and events. Nonfiction books present information in engaging and interesting ways. Find out how you can help your child learn to navigate all the parts of a nonfiction book — from the table of contents to the diagrams, captions, glossary, and index.
Share What You Discover! Publishing Your Work
Almost every week there is a news story about a new finding or discovery in science. These news stories are one of the exciting steps in the science world: sharing what you find! Helping kids share their own scientific findings will make them feel like part of the scientific community.
Real-life scientists use charts and graphs as a way to organize and understand the information they have gathered. Young scientists can do the same! These activities will help you and your child create simple bar charts together, learn the vocabulary of graphing (axis, scale, labels, etc.), and have fun building "on-the-ground" graphs using real objects.
Commemorating the 10th Anniversary of 9/11: Including ELLs
As we observe the 10th anniversary of 9/11 this year, it's important to remember that our commemoration is more than a moment of silence — it's an important educational opportunity for students, including English language learners (ELLs). Here are some of the lessons we learned from our experiences, as well as ideas for engaging ELLs in discussions about 9/11 and related issues.
Discover some simple hands-on activities and games that can be done at home or in the backyard to help your child develop a deeper understanding of cause and effect — and strengthen reading comprehension and scientific inquiry skills.
Helping children understand the concept of sequence develops both literacy and scientific inquiry skills. Here are a few simple activities that families can do together to give kids opportunities to observe, record, and think about sequencing.
Children begin using their senses to recognize patterns and categorize things at a young age — skills that play an important role in early learning. This tip sheet provides some simple activities, as well as recommended books, that parents can use to help their kids build pattern recognition and categorization skills in science and math.
Teaching Spelling to English Language Learners
Recording Observations: Capturing and Sharing Images
Young kids love technology, gadgets, and nature! While parents may be looking for ways to reduce screen time for their kids, here are a few helpful suggestions for integrating simple technology and books into your outdoor adventures in a fun and educational way.
Recording Observations: Journals and Field Notes
Science and math explorations provide your growing reader with a chance to record all kinds of observations. Young children love to keep a special journal, and fill it with all sorts of drawings, scribbles, sketches, notes, and graphs. Try these ideas and books, in addition to adding the date to each entry, and watch as your child's observational and recording skills grow along with your child.
The Spirit of Día: Celebrating Cuentos Every Day
Hands-on measurement activities are fun to explore with children. Introduce your young learner to these interesting new vocabulary words and knowledge, and help your child develop an early love of measuring everything in sight!
RTI and ELLs: A System of Support to Ensure Success
Alan Matan is the Department Chairman for ELL and Foreign Languages at Maine West High School in Des Plaines, Illinois. In this article written for Colorín Colorado, he explains the process by which his team created and implemented an RtI model designed to meet the needs of long-term ELLs
Differentiated Instruction for English Language Learners
As a young reader, your child is learning to make predictions while reading which they can use to monitor their understanding of the story while thinking ahead to the next part. Scientists, just like readers, make predictions all the time. Help your child begin to see the connection between what she does as a reader and what she can do as a scientist. Below are two simple ways you can encourage your child to put her prediction skills to work as a scientist:
Many of the "tools" needed for science, math, and engineering exploration are right inside your home! Here are five ideas for putting everyday tools to work for some everyday fun:
Early Literacy Instruction in Dual Language Preschools (Spanish/English)
Dr. Karen Ford provides Spanish/English dual-language practitioners with an overview of effective literacy instruction for young children. She includes strategies for supporting early bilingual literacy development, similarities and differences between the two languages and their alphabets, and guidelines for literacy assessment in the preschool classroom.
Steps in the Scientific Process
One way parents can help children become interested in science is by explaining the scientific process. The scientific process is the way scientists go about asking and answering scientific questions by making observations and doing experiments. Review the steps of the scientific process below, and learn how to incorporate your child into each one!
The purpose of report cards is to communicate about a child's progress across subject areas. Some kids, especially those having difficulty in school, dread report card time. Here are some suggestions for making report card time a little less scary and a little more productive.
Choosing Children's Books: Cultural Relevance Rubric
Culturally Relevant Books in the ELL Classroom
My Life Is Normal, Too: Diversity in Children's Literature
Tips for Choosing Culturally Appropriate Books & Resources About Native Americans
Homework is important, but helping children with homework isn't always easy. Here are some ways you can make homework easier for everyone!
Homework Tips for Parents of ELLs
Mission Critical: Reading Together to Build Critical Thinking Skills
Critical thinking, the ability to think deeply about a topic or a book, is an essential skill for children to develop. Here are some helpful tips and recommended books to strengthen your child's ability to think critically.
ELL Identification: Information for Administrators
Administrators play an important role in shaping the policies and procedures for identifying the language and academic needs of English language learners (ELLs). In this excerpt from Transforming Schools for English Learners: A Comprehensive Framework for School Leaders, Debbie Zacarian offers administrators an overview to ELL identification and placement best practices within the context of choosing the right program model for the population. Topics include information about home language surveys, test validity, and scheduling considerations.
Before- & After-School Support for Adolescent ELLs
Before- and after-school programs can play an important role in ELLs' success by providing a place and time for homework, extra academic support, and enrichment activities. These programs are particularly helpful for older students who may not have access to academic resources or help at home, or those with responsibilities such as working or caring for younger siblings. Learn more about the elements of an effective before- and after-school program for ELLs from this excerpt of Teaching Adolescent English Language Learners: Essential Strategies for Middle and High School (Caslon Publishing, 2010).
How should ELLs be grouped for instruction?
Placing ELLs in the appropriate instruction group presents a number of challenges to teachers, administrators, and ELL curriculum directors. Factors such as age, language proficiency level, language groups, staff time, program models, and available resources for ELL students can affect these decisions in a variety of ways. Researchers Ester de Jong and Nancy L. Commins provide a quite a bit of helpful guidance about this topic in this excerpt from English Language Learners at School: A Guide for Administrators.
Lessons Learned from Immigrant Families
No one wants to start their day in a frenzied mess of untied shoes and breakfast in hand as the school bus approaches. Follow these five short recommendations for smoothing out those rough mornings.
Resources for First-Year ELL Teachers
Helping ELL Newcomers: Things Your Students Need to Know
This excerpt from The More-Than-Just-Surviving Handbook offers an excellent list of practical details and logistics that ELLs need to know when starting at a new school, such as routines, rules, transportation, and classroom expectations. The list serves as an excellent reminder of the extra help ELL students and families need negotiating a new school system and will be particularly helpful for teachers new to working with ELLs.
Make History Come Alive with Books!
A great way for young children to develop an interest in history is through books! This article offers some ideas for getting started.
Beat the Heat with Your Weather Page
Summer's temperatures often send kids and parents inside to cooler air. Here are a few tips to make the most of those hot afternoons with some literacy and math fun using only your newspaper, computer, or other household items.
Libraries and bookstores are great options for building a home library. Another great resource for books is a book swap. Consider organizing one for your neighborhood or block. It can be a simple afternoon undertaking, or with more time and effort, a fun event that will become an annual tradition! Below are some suggestions for organizing a book swap for kids.
Summer Learning Resources for Parents
School's over, but that doesn't mean that kids need to stop learning or reading! Summer is a great time for kids to read what they enjoy and to learn in new kinds of environments. Learn more from Colorín Colorado's summer reading resources!
Resources for Librarians: Serving ELLs and Their Families
Response to Intervention in Reading for English Language Learners
This article briefly highlights the knowledge base on reading and RTI for ELLs, and provides preliminary support for the use of practices related to RTI with this population.
Bilingual Students in Spelling Bees
Letters are all around us! Here are some ideas to use print found in your everyday environment to help develop your child's reading skills.
The library is a public service for the community, with everything from free book rentals to tax help. Read on to find out what resources are available for you at the library.
Teaching Tips: Summer School for English Language Learners
Veteran teacher Sharon Eghigian has nearly 15 years of experience teaching in a variety of ESL summer programs. Some of those programs include ESL summer school (Grades K-5), "Jump Start" classes at non-profit agencies (ages 8-16), and cultural orientation/ESL classes for newcomers (K-5). Sharon draws on her experience and shares some of her favorite summer ESL school activities and tips in the following article. Most strategies are geared towards elementary ELLs, although many can be adapted for older students.
Sharing poetry with kids is a great way to highlight language. Poems include humor, interesting words, tongue twisters, alliteration, and opportunities for choral reading among other important literacy concepts. This article provides guidelines for a family poetry jam — a great way to promote literacy and togetherness in your own home.
8 Strategies for Preschool ELLs' Language and Literacy Development
The Importance of Reading Widely
Sharing lots of different kinds, or genres, of books with your child exposes him to different words, different kinds of images, and whole new worlds. This tip sheet suggests some genres to try with your young reader that complement 'traditional' fiction. Some are suggestions for read alouds, while others may be ones your child can read on his own.
Reading Comprehension Strategies for English Language Learners
This article focuses on strategies that are part of three main approaches: building background knowledge, teaching vocabulary explicitly, and checking comprehension frequently.
Students who comprehend the most from their reading are those who know a lot about words. These students know about word prefixes, suffixes, word roots, and multiple meanings of words. Families can help develop word knowledge through simple conversations focused on words.
Good Night, Sleep Tight: Preschoolers and Sleep
It's important to remember that a lack of sleep can greatly impact your preschooler's behavior and ability to have a good day at preschool. Try this little experiment with your child to make sure they understand and maintain an appropriate sleep schedule.
When to Call Your Child's Teacher
Some parents are reluctant to contact their child's teacher. Don't be! A quick conversation or email exchange can solve simple misunderstandings, or make it clear that a longer, more formal conversation is needed. Here are three situations where parent contact is appropriate and even encouraged.
Choosing a preschool for your child can be a tough decision; what works for one child may not work for another. This is particularly true for a preschooler with special learning or behavior needs. The following three considerations can help you get a head start on finding the right setting for your preschooler.
Teacher Tips: Effective Collaboration with ELL Paraprofessionals
How to Prepare for an ESL Job Interview
If you are looking for a new ESL or bilingual teaching position, there are a number of things you can do to help prepare for the interview. This article outlines general information that will get you started, as well as areas of your own experience that may be helpful to highlight in the interview.
How to Read With a Squiggly Baby (or Toddler!)
As parent, you know how important it is to set aside some time everyday to read with your baby or toddler. But you also know how hard it can be for your child to sit still while you read together! If you've got a squiggler in your house, see if these tips help your reading time go a little more smoothly.
Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia, and Vision
Thanks to advances in imaging techniques and scientific inquiry, we now know much more about learning disabilities (LD), dyslexia, and the role of vision problems. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the Council on Children with Disabilities, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology published a joint statement that summarizes what is currently known about visual problems and dyslexia. The statement also covers what treatments are and are not recommended when diagnosing and treating vision problems, learning disabilities, and dyslexia.
Parent Tips: How to Get Your Teen Reading
Strong reading skills are important for teenagers, but sometimes it can be a challenge to get them reading! Here are some ways to encourage your teen to read.
Social and Emotional Needs of Middle and High School ELLs
Phonics Instruction for Middle and High School ELLs
While it may seem the most expedient solution, it is not appropriate to put an older ELL student in a lower grade to receive the appropriate reading instruction. Age-appropriate activities integrated with academic content give older students the opportunity to make progress as readers.
Tips for Teaching Middle and High School ELLs
Picture This! Using Mental Imagery While Reading
One way to help a child comprehend what he is reading is to encourage him to visualize parts of the story in his mind. These "mind movies" help clarify information, increase understanding, and can include any of the five senses. Try these practices below when reading with your child.
Does My Preschooler Have Delayed Development?
Parents and caregivers want the very best for their children, and therefore are often the first to notice and to worry when they suspect their child may be showing signs of delayed development. Get answers and advice with this easy-to-understand information about developmental delays.
Tips for Parents: Parent-Teacher Conferences
These bilingual tips from Colorín Colorado give parents an overview of parent-teacher conferences and answer questions such as "What if I don't speak English?" and "What will my child's teacher want to talk about with me?" Parent checklists are provided that can be used before, during, and after the conference. These tips are also available as a downloadable pdf in English and Spanish.
Reading 101 for English Language Learners
In this article, Kristina Robertson highlights ELL instructional strategies based on the five components of reading as outlined in "Teaching Children to Read," by the National Reading Panel (2000). This report is a study of research-based best practices in reading instruction and it focuses on the following five instructional areas: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency, and Comprehension.
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe: Math and Literacy for Preschoolers
Even our youngest learners are exposed to math everyday. By providing an environment rich in language and where thinking is encouraged, you can help your preschooler develop important numeracy and literacy skills. Here are four everyday examples of ways to integrate language and math.
Parent Tips: Help Your Child Have a Good School Year
Supporting ELLs in the Mainstream Classroom
10 Ways to Support ELLs in the School Library
The school library is an important resource for English language learners. It may be the first place many students and their families get experience using a lending library. What can school librarians can to show ELLs that libraries are welcoming places of entertainment and enrichment? This article offers some ideas.
Daytrips, vacations and special outings create special memories and great learning opportunities for families. The time leading up to your trip can be filled with excitement and adventure too! Whether you're going to the zoo, the museum, or a state park, below are a few "stops" to make before your visit to help your child get the most out of a family or school educational experience.
Successful Field Trips with English Language Learners
English language learners can benefit from field trips that provide an experience that enhances classroom learning. It can be overwhelming for a teacher to think of organizing all the details of a field trip, but with some planning beforehand and a few extra steps, field trips can be very successful! This article offers some ways to make the field trips with ELLs go more smoothly and to provide students with a meaningful academic experience.
Grocery Store Literacy for Preschoolers
A simple trip to the grocery store can turn into a real learning experience for your preschooler. Below are some easy ways to build literacy and math skills while getting your shopping done at the same time!
A simple trip to the grocery store can turn into a real learning experience for your child. Below are some easy ways to build literacy and math skills while getting your shopping done at the same time!
Playing games is a great way to provide additional practice with early reading skills. Here are six games parents or tutors can use to help young readers practice word recognition, spelling patterns, and letter-sound knowledge.
Writing Poetry with English Language Learners
This article discusses strategies for writing poetry with ELLs, presents an overview of poetry forms that can be used effectively in writing lessons, and suggests some ideas for ways to share student poetry.
Introducing and Reading Poetry with English Language Learners
This article offers some ideas on how to introduce poetry to ELLs and integrate it with reading instruction, as well as some ideas for reading poetry aloud in a way that will encourage oral language development.
Parent Tips: Helping Your Child with Test-Taking
As a parent, there are many ways you can support your child's academic success, which will in turn help your child with test-taking throughout the school year.
Testing: An Introduction for Parents
As a parent, there are many ways you can support your child's academic success, which will in turn help your child with test-taking throughout the school year. The following articles offer a number of suggestions of ways that you can help your child prepare for tests, and support your child's learning habits.
Reconocimiento a los Maestros: Ideas para actividades
How can you express appreciation for a teacher who has educated and inspired your child? Here the National PTA offers ideas, in Spanish, for parents, students, and schools to say a meaningful "thank you."
Developing Writing and Spelling at Home
Writing is a terrific way for children to express their thoughts, creativity, and uniqueness. It is also a fundamental way in which children learn to organize ideas and helps them to be better readers. Here are some suggestions that engage your child in the writing process.
Math Instruction for English Language Learners
Language plays an important part in math instruction, particularly for ELLs. This article offers some strategies for making language an integral part of math instruction, and for ensuring that ELLs have the tools and language they need to master mathematical concepts, procedures, and skills.
Getting Ready to Read: Family Activities
There are many activities that parents can share with their children at home in order to strengthen reading and language skills! These articles offer an overview of some of those activities, as well as specific ideas to use.
Readers' Theater: Oral Language Enrichment and Literacy Development for ELLs
ELLs can benefit from readers' theater activities in a number of ways, including fluency practice, comprehension, engaging in a story, and focusing on vocal and physical expression. Kristina Robertson offers a number of approaches to readers' theater with ELLs in this article.
Getting Ready to Read: Using Storytelling, Rhymes, and More!
From singing and rhyming to storytelling and acting, these activities will help children to develop a wide array of reading readiness skills.
Working with Community Organizations to Support ELL Students
When building a support network for English language learners, community organizations can play a valuable role and offer resources that schools may not have at their disposal. This article offers some ideas on ways that schools can partner with community groups to support ELLs.
ELL Student Success: The Path to College
For English language learners, the challenges of going to and applying to college can be overwhelming. ELL teachers can play an important role, however, by helping students prepare for and navigate the application process. This section features a number of articles with great ideas for ways that ELL educators can support their students as they consider their future plans.
Increasing ELL Student Reading Comprehension with Non-fiction Text
One of the most important skills students learn as they transition into middle and high school is how to get information from a non-fiction text. This skill can be especially challenging for ELLs, who may not have had much experience working independently with expository texts. This Bright Ideas article offers ways that teachers can help ELLs work effectively with non-fiction texts and includes strategies for introducing components, structure, and purpose of expository texts.
Creating a College-Going Culture for English Language Learners
Some English language learners may not know what to expect from the college application process. Others don't start thinking about college until their junior or senior year. One way to ensure that students are prepared to apply for college is to create a college-going culture in your school and across your district.
School Attendance: A Key to Success
Did you know that school attendance is one of the most important factors in a student’s academic success? Being at school every day ensures that students won’t miss important lessons, assignments, activities, exams, and school events. This article suggests some things you can do to help your child get the most of each school day, and offers tips for ways you can make sure you child doesn’t fall behind when a school absence necessary.
A Picture's Worth a Thousand Words
How many times have you watched your child choose a book and then pore over the illustrations? When you look at a children's book, the illustrations can make the story come alive in magical ways. For some suggestions on how to use picture books to engage your child when reading together, take a look at this article.
Retrospective: Language Instruction in Native American Communities
This article about the evolution of language instruction in Native American communities during the past 30 years was written for Colorín Colorado by Dr. Catherine Collier, a leader in the fields of cross-cultural, bilingual, and special education.
How to Help Your Child with LD Have a Happy Holiday
The holiday season is a time for family togetherness, fun, and friendship. But children who struggle with social and behavioral problems can feel lonely and excluded during this happy time. This article gives you a dozen ways to help you child join the fun.
Selecting Books for Your Child: Finding 'Just Right' Books
How can parents help their children find books that are not "too hard" and not "too easy" but instead are "just right"? Here's some advice.
Handwriting: What's Normal, What's Not
This article lists some milestones to look for as your child's handwriting skills begin to develop. The article also describes some signs and symptoms of dysgraphia, a learning disability that affects a child's handwriting and ability to hold a pen, pencil, or crayon.
Tips for Educators of ELLs: Reading in Grades 7-12
These tips offer some great ways to help your regular and newcomer English Language Learners become confident and successful readers. Add a new language strategy each week, and watch your students' reading improve!
Tips for Educators of ELLs: Reading in Grades 4-6
The tips below offer some great ways to help your English language learners (ELLs) become confident and successful readers. Add a new language strategy each week, and watch your students' reading improve!
Tips for Educators of ELLs: Teaching Vocabulary in Grades 4-12
Research shows that vocabulary development is one of the most important skills students need to acquire to become English-proficient. This article provides some strategies to help you get started.
Tips for Educators of ELLs: What To Do First in Grades 4-12
Before you begin to work with your ELLs, these preparation strategies will make your reading instruction more productive and effective.
10 Steps for Parents: If Your Child Has a Learning Disability
If your child has been diagnosed with a learning disability, there are many things you can do to support him. Here are 10 ideas to get you started!
How does the special education system work in the United States?
This article offers parents an introduction to the special education system in the U.S., and provides a brief overview of the IDEA law mandating special education services.
What is an IEP meeting and who can request one?
This article offers an introduction to the Individual Education Program (IEP) and discusses parent participation in the creation of an IEP.
Learning Disabilities: An Introduction for Parents
This article provides parents with a basic introduction to what learning disabilities are, and how they are identified. It also provides a list of steps that parents can take if they suspect that their child has a learning disability.
If you are interested in bringing the local, state, or presidential election to your classroom, try some of these resources! We've included links to children's booklists, lesson plans and websites full of ideas you can use in the classroom.
Do you suspect that your child has a reading difficulty or learning disability?
This article offers suggestions of steps parents can take if they suspect their child has a learning disability, and provides an introduction to the process of conducting an evaluation.
Building Strong Parent-Educator Partnerships
In this section we offer numerous resources for educators and parents in order to strengthen the school-home partnership. From back-to-school night to parent-teacher conferences, we've got lots of ideas to get you started!
How to Support ELL Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFEs)
Many English language learners come to school having had little or no schooling in their native countries, or with an interrupted education if their family has moved frequently. While educating students with interrupted formal education (SIFEs) presents many challenges to educators, they can indeed obtain a high school diploma with the right kind of support, and go on to future academic and professional success. This article provides a profile of SIFEs and their needs, recommendations of best practices, and examples of the kinds of quality school-wide and classroom support that will accelerate their academic achievement.
Serving Recent Immigrant Students Through School-Community Partnerships
How do district and school partnerships with community-based organizations help schools better meet the needs of recent immigrant students? This article provides some examples of promising strategies in which community-based organizations and districts work together to address linguistic and cultural differences, help newcomers gain new language skills and catch up academically with their peers, and provide educational and social support to immigrant families.
Parent Tips: How to Monitor TV Viewing and Video Game Playing
Children in the United States on average spend far more time watching TV or playing video games than they do completing homework or other school-related activities. This article offers parents suggestions for helping children to use TV and video games wisely.
Help Your Child Learn to Use the Internet Properly and Effectively
The Internet/World Wide WEB-a network of computers that connects people and information all around the world-has become an important part of how we learn and of how we interact with others. For children to succeed today, they must be able to use the Internet. Here are some suggestions for helping children learn to do so properly and effectively.
Parent Participation: How to Get Involved in Your Child's School Activities
This article offers parents some year-round suggestions for getting involved in their children's schools.
How to Prepare for the Beginning of the School Year
These ideas will help your child get ready for a new school year. As the first day of school approaches, there are many things you can do to set your child on the path to school success.
Parent Guide: Who's Who at Your Child's School
There are many people at your child's school who are there to help your child learn, grow socially and emotionally, and navigate the school environment. Here's a selected list of who's who at your school: the teaching and administrative staff as well as organizations at the district level. You might want to keep this list handy all year long.
Writing Ideas from the Classroom
This article offers some ideas from ELL educators around the country about getting ELL students (children, adolescents, and adults) to write more enthusiastically and creatively.
Magazines can be a wonderful way to motivate children to read. Colorín Colorado has received a number of requests for recommendations of Spanish-language children's magazines from teachers and parents. We are pleased to report that we have found an excellent publication that we can enthusiastically recommend, and that parents and children alike are sure to enjoy: IGUANA Magazine.
The summer is a wonderful time for children to read what they most enjoy, to learn new things, and to have fun. Colorín Colorado has compiled a list of summer reading tips for parents to get you started!
The Role of Fathers in Their Child's Literacy Development: Pre-K
Dads play a critical role in their children's literacy development by modeling reading, sharing stories, exploring the world together, and engaging in meaningful conversations that build critical thinking skills. Here are a few suggestions to help fathers strengthen their literacy connections with preschoolers.
The Role of Fathers in Their Child's Literacy Development: K-3
Dads play a critical role in their children's literacy development by modeling reading, sharing stories, exploring the world together, and engaging in meaningful conversations that build critical thinking skills. Here are a few suggestions to help fathers strengthen their literacy connections with young children.
Getting Your Children Excited About the Library
Helping your children to enjoy reading is one of the most important things you can do as a parent and well worth the investment of your time and energy. It's important to remember that you can give your children this kind of experience even if you don't have a lot of books in your home. Your local public library has an abundance of books, plus many other valuable resources. This article offers some ideas for ways to get kids excited about the library.
Library Services for Children with Special Needs
Libraries offer a wide range of services for individuals with special needs. This article details some of the services that may be available for children and adults with learning or intellectual disabilities, who are blind or deaf, and gifted and talented children. If you aren't sure what your library offers, ask the librarian for assistance.
More Than Books at the Library
In addition to a wealth of books, your library most likely will have tapes and CDs of books, musical CDs, movies, computers that you can use, and many more resources. You also might find storytelling programs, books in languages other than English, or programs to help adults learn English or improve their reading.
Library Services For School-Aged Children
Libraries take on another important dimension for children beginning school. There are special programs in areas such as summer readings, author visits, and creative writing. In addition, the library is a place to find information and help with schoolwork. Visit your local public library to see what services and programs are available for your children.
Library Services for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers
As a parent, you are your child's first and most important teacher. Without a doubt, reading with children spells success for early literacy. Taking your children to the library often will help them develop an enjoyment and respect of books from an early age. As soon as you can, it is a good idea to include children — even toddlers — in weekly trips to the library. This articles describes some library resources available for young children.
What to Expect When You Visit the Library
Libraries offer books for people of ages, and much, much more — they are places of learning and discovery for everyone. The best way to find out is to visit your community library and see what's available.
Library Services for Teenagers
Many libraries offer services for teenagers, providing information and activities of interest to teens in the community. Just being certain that teenagers know what kinds of programs are available may be the best help you can give — that, along with setting the example of visiting the library and reading yourself.
It's never too early to read to your baby. As soon as your baby is born, he or she starts learning. Just by talking to, playing with, and caring for your baby every day, you help your baby develop language skills necessary to become a reader. By reading with your baby, you foster a love of books and reading right from the start. The tips below offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader. Try a new tip each week. See what works best for your child.
Being a toddler is all about action. Encourage continued language development and interest in books and reading by keeping things lively and engaging. Everyday experiences are full of opportunities to engage in conversation and develop language skills. The tips below offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader. Try a new tip each week. See what works best for your child.
How to Support Refugee Students in the ELL Classroom
Many ELL teachers may work with refugee students in the classroom, particularly in a region of the country where large refugee communities are settling. This Bright Ideas article explores the unique challenges that both refugee students and their teachers face, as well as a number of suggestions of ways to address those challenges and a list of useful resources.
Anyone at any age can learn a second language after a first language is already established, but it takes a lot of practice. Second language acquisition often happens when a child who speaks a language other than English goes to school for the first time. This American Speech-Language-Hearing Association brief looks at the best way to teach a second language and how speech professionals can help.
Learning to speak two languages is like learning any other skill. To do it well, children need lots of practice, which parents can help provide. This American Speech-Language-Hearing Association brief gives information and tips for parents.
No Child Left Behind: Eight Terms Parents Should Know
This article, adapted from the U.S. Department of Education, defines eight terms central to the No Child Left Behind Act.
No Child Left Behind: Frequently Asked Questions About Reading
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) has had a major impact on the American education system since its creation in 2001. This law requires that students are evaluated each year to measure their progress in areas including reading and mathematics. This article discusses the reasons that improved reading achievement plays such an important part in NCLB, and offers an introduction to NCLB's Reading First program.
Is My Child Ready to Enter Kindergarten?
In the United States, the expectations of children who enter Kindergarten can vary from school to school. There are, however, some general social and educational guidelines about the skills children should develop by the time they start a kindergarten program, which are listed in this article.
Parent Tips: How to Help Your Child Prepare for Standardized Tests
Standardized tests currently play a major role in the United States public schools. Your child may take one or more standardized tests during the school year, and your child's teacher may spend class time on test preparation throughout the year. As a parent, there are a number of ways that you can support your child before and after taking a standardized test, as well as a number of ways you can support your child's learning habits on a daily basis that will help her be more prepared when it's time to be tested.
Developing Writing and Spelling at Home: Pre-K
When engaging in writing, young children often mirror what they see around them; adults and older children writing lists, notes, text messaging. They are observing the way writing is used in our everyday lives. Here are some simple things families can do to support young children's writing.
Twenty Ways You Can Help Your Children Succeed At School
You can make a big difference in helping your child succeed in school. Here are ten things you can do.
As part of assessments and/or high school graduation requirements in many states, students must pass a writing test. For ELL students, the writing test often poses one of the biggest challenges in testing and in meeting graduation requirements. In this month's Bright Ideas article, we offer a strategy for overcoming those obstacles and writing a strong five-paragraph essay. The article outlines the process from start to finish, starting with helping students develop a deeper understanding of writing test requirements to planning, organizing, and editing the essay's final draft.
Teaching Writing to Diverse Student Populations
Writing is a complex operation requiring knowledge of text structure, syntax, vocabulary, and topic, and sensitivity to audience needs; so it is not surprising that many teens find writing challenging. This article identifies the qualities of strong writing instruction, and offers advice to teachers for incorporating writing instruction into their practice, using tools like notebooks and journals, and sharing strategies that reinforce the importance of pre-writing and revision.
Motivating ELL Student Readers
ELL teachers are in a unique position to instill a love of reading in their students. Since many ELL students are struggling readers, however, it can be difficult to motivate them to read. In this month's Bright Ideas feature, we offer a number of suggestions for motivating ELL readers, from finding readable materials to introducing students to a "culture of reading." We also provide a number of hotlinks to websites about high-low reading materials, and articles about teaching ELLs to read.
Making Reading Relevant: Read, Learn, and Do! (K-3)
Every time you pair a book with an experience, you are giving your child an opportunity to learn more about their world. Below are some suggestions for books and corresponding activities to extend your child's reading experiences.
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I teach kindergarten to Spanish-speaking students and have very much liked your materials.
~ Amy S., Boston Public Schools
Why the name "Colorín Colorado"?
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Colorín Colorado is a free web-based, bilingual service that provides information, activities, and advice for educators and Spanish-speaking families of English language learners (ELLs, also known as students of English as a second language).
Colorín Colorado is produced by Reading Rockets — an educational service of WETA, the flagship public broadcasting station in the nation's capital. Original artwork by Caldecott Award-winning illustrator David Diaz is used with permission.
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Colorín Colorado receives major funding from the American Federation of Teachers. Additional funding is provided by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs.
¡Colorín Colorado! ® is a registered trademark of WETA.
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